Skins: Fire Part Two Recap
by Gerald the Puppet
Summary: This is a recap of the second episode of Series 7. I review what we see and hear, and try to draw some connections and make sense of it all.
1. Autumn: Part 1

**Note**: A lot of people are upset by this episode - and understandably so. I won't try to justify any of it, but let's see if we can make sense of it. This recap contains spoilers for the end of the episode, since it only makes sense to talk about it all together.

Once again, a thanks to all my anonymous reviewers whom I can't thank individually. One of you corrected me that it's Effy whom Emily slaps, which is a relief and makes much more sense. I can only plead confusion now that Naomi's stopped dying her hair ... but I appreciate any and all corrections!

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_I forgot to comment on the seasons last time, so let's look at that. Fire Part 1 began in spring, which is the season of beginnings. Effy had a new job, Naomi was planning on a career, friendships and relationships were shown in the early stages. Summer came, and events were looking up: Effy got a promotion, Naomi had her first gig, friendships and relationships blossomed. (That's what the kids are calling it these days.)_

_Fire Part 2 begins in autumn, and it's here that things start to fall apart. Let's look at that before moving on to the winter of our discontent._

The episode opens to Naomi performing her comedy routine on _Last Comic Standing_, and she's actually funny. She's a little more relaxed, which helps. She's also making jokes about cancer _(Who knew it could be funny?_)_,_ but the crowd is responding and she's clearly accepted her situation. She reassures the crowd, in fact, "Don't worry, I'm fine." Effy, however, not so much - she storms out, clearly not feeling the same peace of mind.

Cut to Jake's apartment. Jake has a fish tank, and I'm reminded of Chris' fish. _If only Jay were the one making like Chris in this episode… Sigh. _ Effy walks in, ranting about Naomi - she says it's about the rent, but it's really about the cancer.

_It's Effy who has the hard time with Naomi's cancer, who rages against it, who can't accept it. There could be a few reasons for this, starting with the simplest: cancer sucks. But it could also be that Effy can't stand to lose another friend, or that watching someone else struggle with - and succumb to - a chronic illness is stirring up some unpleasant memories. More on that in a bit._

Jake interrupts Effy with a kiss, and she pretends to get mad at him, but that devolves into him carrying her, caveman-style, into the bedroom.

Later, Effy wakes up to hear Jake on the phone. It's 2 AM, and he's working - he needs to close some deals. Business hasn't been going well lately, and it's the same complaint we heard from Effy last time. _And that's the real moral of Skins Fire, folks - don't get a job as a trader, because it will only lead to ruin. Trying your hand at drug dealing (Sid and the Mad Twatter, Thomas and Johnny White) leads to wacky hijinks; real jobs lead to real trouble._ Anyway, it's Effy's turn to go for seductive distraction, and it works just as well.

Next morning, on the trading floor. Effy walks in, in a red shirt and black jacket with lacy sleeves. She just has time to trade coy glances with Jake before Mark walks up. Effy's messed up some records, and Mark angrily tells her to straighten them out. Meanwhile, Jake's got someone (some company exec, presumably) in his office, very upset, and Jake is stressed.

Much later that day, it's dark, Effy's still at work, and papers are flying everywhere as she tries to figure out her mess. She looks out the window, then smiles: she can see Dominic, in his office, also hard at work. _We can also see Dominic's computer screen. Remember when his office mate panicked, because Effy wasn't allowed in their office, and started shutting off his monitors? If Effy - and, presumably, the rest of her floor and building - can see over this well, they have bigger security problems. Let's assume this was a not-well-thought-out dramatization…_

Effy arrives home, and is greeted with a flying hug by a screaming Emily. _Kathryn Prescott fans, enjoy it while it lasts. She gets hardly any screen time, but it is all brilliant._ Emily has surprised them both with a visit, and Naomi gives Effy a warning shake of her head. Emily's been taking lessons from Katie, as she notices Effy's ensemble and compares her to a "sexy funeral director". Emily, meanwhile, has on a striped top with a whale in the center of her chest - it's cute, but a screaming contrast to Effy's professional garb. Emily is the perfect friend, asking about Effy's work, and Effy goes for a drink. Naomi is on the couch, looking through Emily's portfolio of pictures.

The next day, Effy and Naomi are sitting in the hospital, waiting. Naomi hasn't told Emily about her cancer, because she doesn't want Emily to get upset and drop out of her internship. Naomi's planning on telling Emily, as soon as her cancer is "over. Which it will be, soon." Naomi is called in, and tells Effy to stay there, but Effy ignores her and quickly accepts the nurse's invitation to accompany them.

They're there so that Naomi can get an MRI. She reaches out for Effy's hand, obviously scared, and holds Effy's hand far too tightly and too long. Watching her, Effy looks just as scared, and has to leave the room.

_Nice support, Effy. Your friend is clearly scared, needs you there, and you're running out? This is a little better then when Effy didn't notice what was going on and didn't come to appointments, but it also makes the rejection a little more personal. It's no wonder Naomi doesn't want to tell Emily, if this is the way Effy is reacting._

That night, Jake comes to Effy's flat, bearing a bottle of wine. He's there to meet her friends. Upstairs, Jake plays the perfect gentleman, uncorking and pouring the wine, and he's given a quick summary of his life story. naomi makes an observation about his privileged background, and Effy takes a shot at Naomi's not having paid rent. _Rent is always a sure spot between roommates, sure - but I don't think paying the rent is what Effy is upset that Naomi's not doing._ Naomi and Emily start to take the piss out of Effy for her clear lack of flaws, but Jake takes them seriously and proposes a toast: "To Effy, the most fucking together person I've ever met." Effy looks like she might cry. Naomi and Emily are unable to keep straight faces - Emily practically doing a spit take with her wine - and insinuate that this is a recent development. Effy leaves and goes to bed, Naomi and Emily make _adorable_ mocking faces after her, and Naomi nods vigorously for Jake to follow after Effy. He politely takes his leave.

Jake and Effy are in bed, trying to enjoy themselves, but two sets of moans and gasps are coming through the wall quite clearly. _Kathryn Prescott tweets: Just for the record, those sex noises were NOT me_ Jake complains of the distraction, and Effy agrees that this happens every night. _And good for them! Emily's been out of the country for a while, they don't have a lot of time together… and we Naomily fans will take all the glimmers of happiness we can get_. _And really, Jake, you should find that inspiring rather than distracting. _

Effy twigs that it's not just the noises upsetting Jake, and he agrees that the real issue is work: no financial gains coming in, recession or not, and he needs "another big win… an Effy special". Effy looks panicked. _Now, at this point, Jake could just think Effy is particularly skilled, or has great intuition._ Effy brushes it off as just luck, but Jake reassures her that she was brilliant. _Okay, still just confident, reassuring, no problem here._ Effy tells Jake that she had some help. _And that tears it - "help" can only mean one thing, in this context. If it was just someone with more skills, better research, etc., they would have been making money for themselves, not coaching Effy. "Help" means someone with insider knowledge; illegal help. And now Jake has to make a decision - react morally, reproach her, and drop the subject? _He barely flinches. His smile doesn't falter, he considers for half a second, then tells her that there's nothing wrong with that. He asks for some more of that. He asks her if she could make it happen. _And that takes us from Effy and Dominic doing something stupid in the heat of the moment to something pre-meditated. To a pre-meditated conspiracy, because they're both knowingly involved. _The music rises, quietly, dramatically. Cut to black.

_This first part has set all of the threads in motion that we saw last week - even the long look and smile at Dominic was there_ - _so there are really no surprises. All that remains is to see just how they play out._


	2. Autumn: Part 2

The scene opens with us watching people go by on moving sidewalks (_people movers? movators? whatever you want to call them)_, and then Emily and Naomi go by. They're taking advantage of being moved by making out as they travel. It's a cute moment. Effy trails them, considerably behind.

The girls walk through the airport. Naomi and Emily are holding hands, swinging them, and they both look disappointed - Emily has a pouty curl to her hug goodbye, both trying not to cry, then kiss one final time. Emily departs, as they exchange last "love you"s.

As Emily vanishes, Naomi lets the disappointment wash over her. Effy confronts her, asking her why [she's not told her about the cancer], and Naomi says it's because she loves her. That Emily matters more to her than the truth. She then throws a little dig in, saying she wouldn't expect Effy to understand.

_I have to think Naomi means that Emily matters more to her than the cancer does, because really, the lies have landed them in trouble before. Naomi's trying to spare Emily the pain of the truth, again, and that suggests maybe Naomi really hasn't learned. Effy hasn't ever had a problem with the truth (although, with feelings, perhaps a little bit), so this is likely Naomi commenting on Effy's relationships. That's really a little unfair, because Effy might actually have come to have that relationship with Freddy. _

Effy's at work, making coffee. Jane comes up, warns her, "Angry man approaching", and then runs. _Poor Jane. She tries so hard, but her timing is laughably off because Mark is so close behind he probably heard her warn Effy._ Mark is upset because the work Effy was supposed to fix is still wrong. He accuses her of being too busy with Jake to do the work properly _(possible)_. Effy curses at him, but Mark deflects saying that she only got the job because she was sleeping with him _(technically untrue, but possibly based on truth)_. _Of course, he says it a little more crassly than that._ Cheerleader!Jane steps over, having heard the whole thing, and tries to empathize with Effy. Once again, it's not the right time and Effy curses at her too.

Effy throws her papers on to her desk, but stares out the window rather than getting to work on them. This gives the camera another chance to focus on Effy's face, and she smiles slowly as she looks down.

We next see Effy and Dominic, smoking in front of the building, where Effy used to smoke with Jane. _(whoslonelyroadistheanswer asked me about the absence of benches in this episode, something which featured so prominently in S1/S2. Here's the London-equivalent, folks: backless, concrete benches, with just as much smoking as Bristol did. Convenient spots, really, for conversations and meet ups.) _Dominic is shaking his head, refusing. Effy accepts it calmly, but Dominic continues to refuse. Effy reveals that things aren't going well and that Jake is upset, but Dominic is feeling no sympathy for Jake. Dominic takes this opportunity to ask why Effy likes him. She thinks, then says that it's because he makes her feel like she's good at this.

_Which, really, says a lot about Effy - she has a father who usually ignored her, going as far as to leave the family when she was in college. We have the mother who was barely aware of what she was doing, and spent most of her time after the divorce abroad, until it was nearly too late. Her brother was the only one who paid much attention to her, and he we saw in their scenes together how much Effy adored him. Cook loved Effy, and that seemed to be why she out up with him - she didn't particularly like him. Freddie loved Effy, too, idolizing her, and Effy started to return that affection. But the problem with this is Dominic - he was telling her how good she was, just before her trading success, and he was telling her how good she was during their chalk talk on the roof. So why not Dominic? Why the flattering, insincere Jake? _

Dominic is clearly wondering this himself, but tells us he's an idiot because he'd convinced himself that Effy wasn't sleeping with Jake. _Oh, Dominic. Such wishful thinking…_ Effy objects that that's not the point, but Dominic won't be swayed. He's in love with Effy, he tells her, and it's not just a crush. He's changed - picking up smoking, breaking the law with insider information - all for her, and he can't take it. He asks Effy to leave him alone, and not to come to that smoking spot anymore. Effy makes an effort to break the tension, suggesting that it's really her smoking spot, and Dominic can't help but smile. _Oh, Dominic. If only you could stand up for your convictions… but you'll be one more man drawn in and drawn under by the siren of Effy Stonem. We could pursue that thought farther, and wonder if it will be Effy who draws Jake down, but he's a big boy and can look out for himself. _

Effy hurries down a hospital corridor, late. She barely has time to greet an unimpressed Naomi before they're called in to the doctor's office. it turns out that the treatment this far hasn't worked, and Naomi cuts off the explanation to ask what's next. She argues with the doctor, in full-out denial mode as she insists that "possibilities" shouldn't be happening. Naomi is due to begin chemotherapy tomorrow.

On their walk out, Naomi encourages Effy to reassure her. _It's as though she's saying, "I know you don't know how to be a friend, Effy, but I'll show you what to do."_ Effy is exasperated and make a half-hearted stab at it, and Naomi is unimpressed. Naomi is non-plussed, and still not impressed, when Effy tells her they'll be taking her car back - a BMW, with a driver, and classical music.

Back at their flat, Dominic is waiting with flowers. _Which is very sweet, as Naomi says, but why is Dominic seeking out more contact with Effy if he wants her to stay away?_ Naomi graciously thanks him, and Dominic asks how it went. Naomi tells him she's beginning chemo, and Dominic is encouraging and reassuring. Naomi points this out to Effy, as a good example, and goes upstairs. Dominic asks what happened, and Effy tells him that she's doing her best.

Upstairs, Effy is playing with her phone and Dominic and Naomi are on the couch, under a blanket, watching TV. They're watching a program me about condoms breaking, which is irrelevant to Naomi and perhaps too uncomfortable for Dominic, who now has to leave. Naomi invites him back any time. On his way out, Dominic gives Effy a flash drive. He explains only, "Something's happening tomorrow."

The drive contains confidential information, Effy and Jake discover. A mining company is about to make an announcement, surprising everyone, so their share price will start to rise from its current downward trend. _Basically, the same thing as happened last time - a few hours' forewarning, and a chance to buy a stock at a very low price before everyone wants it and its price starts to climb. _Jake grasps the implication quickly, and wants to buy all of the stock. _That 's barely possible, I suppose, but people don't need a monopoly on a company's share to make any money. And buying _all_ of a company's stock, a company that's on a downward trend, is very suspicious behaviour. _Effy has only 10 million in her portfolio, not enough to buy all of the shares. Jake decides to hack in to Mark's account, to get more buying power. Effy knows his password: "They reset them last week; it'll be his surname." _Seriously? Not only is that about the worst policy ever, but why hasn't Mark since changed his password? This company deserves whatever they get, just for this one policy. When you're using other people's money, they expect you to have better security than this - this practically qualifies as no security. Anyway…_ Jake gets in, excited, and Effy looks away, nervous about the whole affair. _Ahem. See what I did there? _

Montage: Next day, on the trading floor, everything is going to plan - the company they invested in is seeing a steep rise in price. Effy and Jake are in his apartment _(unless Jake also has a fish tank in his office, which is possible)_, making out and removing clothing. Effy has a tattoo of a bird and some stars on her right hip. We're back on the trading floor, and prices continue to rise. We're back in Jake's apartment that night, and the clothing removal and kissing are continuing. _We won't speculate on what's rising - blood pressure, perhaps_. More cuts, between trading floor and sexy times. On the floor, Jake is hovering over Effy, practically draped over her, and says something quietly. Mark looks on, perturbed. More sexy times, Effy gasping.

The montage continues, with sexy times interspersed with Effy walking into a party. Effy's gown is sequins, and she's striding confidently - satisfied. _I keep pausing the episode to type this. In the moment I happened to pause, Effy's first walking in, and her eyes are half-closed. Her expression suggests she just came from Jake's bed._ A voiceover from Jake is informing the partygoers why they're there - they made money! Everyone is excited, except Mark, who just looks pissed off. _He's either pissed off because Jake is happy and getting some, er, attention, or because for some strange reason there's a girl standing next to him with what's either a tattoo or some very heavy makeup in the shape of a star around her right eye. _Everyone cheers, and then dances. More quick scenes: Effy's dancing with Jane_. _Effy's doing some coke_. Now it clicks: investments parties are the perfect scene for the party girl fresh out of uni_. Effy's dancing, inappropriately, with Jake. Effy's ignoring a phone call from Naomi. _Looks like Effy does need those lessons on how to be a friend. _Effy's continuing to grind with Jake. _Let's give it to the crew, though, this is a very pretty scene. They've gone to slow motion, the music has slowed down, and the light is flickering, playing across their faces. _Effy is smiling, Jake is kissing her neck, and Mark is watching the whole thing with an angry scowl. Cut to black.

_Let's think about Mark for a minute. When we first met him, he was being called into a meeting by Victoria, Jake's current darling. Mark was in poor light at the meeting, too tired/hung over to express him himself intelligibly, and Jake called him out on it. Mark has now seen an assistant be promoted into the trading room, and Jake dotes over the jumped-up assistant. We never see Jake talking with Mark, but he and Effy are together all the time. _

_Mark has gone from calling Effy "Elf girl", which didn't sound complimentary but could arguably be a term of endearment, to "fuckup". She can't do anything right - aside from two very mysterious trades, one of which was done using his clients' money! - but she gets all the love._

_Mark is ridiculously jealous of Effy, with a side possibility that his nickname for her and all of his comments on her and Jake having relations represent his own want for her - and he knows he can't have her._

_Given that Jake used Mark's money for their trades, it seems only a matter of time until Mark notices what's going on - and he already knows the seedier, though legal half of it._


	3. Winter: Part 1

We move from from Autumn into Winter. If things started to fall apart for Effy (and Naomi! and Dominic), now they flake apart and come tumbling down.

Effy is leading Naomi into a penthouse flat that's all open spaces, brushed shell, ultra-modern, and ultra-expensive. _She must have made a tidy profit on those trades. And, see? It was never really about the rent money._ Naomi is bundled up in a heavy winter coat, sweatshirt, and a hat with a pompom and ear flaps that trail their own pompoms on strings. _It's a very Canadian ski bunny look, but the message is clear: Naomi can't keep herself warm. _Effy is surprising Naomi with the new apartment, and Naomi wonders if Patrick Bateman lives there. _Ha! The reference is spot-on, but aren't they too young to have seen American Psycho? _Naomi is confused by their need for a new flat, and Effy assures her that they'll pay both leases for a while … and doesn't say why. _Okay, either Effy is on the run from someone, or she wants a little privacy for herself. Except that Jake has his own place, so they can always just go there. Effy is doing her usual mysterious act, and for once it's baffling even the viewers. Seriously, folks, let me know if you can explain the new flat besides "We need some way to show off that Effy's got money:" Let's chalk this up to one more baffling writing decision…_

Effy was trying to be nice, she says, and she's given Naomi the big bedroom. And she's going out. Naomi sighs, and sits down on the couch: "Great." _Effy, I'm pretty sure Naomi doesn't want new, shiny things, I think she just wants to spend time with you. You know, like friends do? She's obviously weak - she can't even walk, she's shuffling - and, with her girlfriend in another country, she's all alone. She did know some people in London, as we saw from the party in the flat, but by moving she's isolated from even them._

Effy is at work, and she gets a phone call from the FSA - the Financial Services Authority. _Effy has to ask for the acronym to be spelled out, and that's a little alarming - working in financial services, everything she does is under their regulation. To draw a rough parallel, it's like a veterinarian asking who the RSPCA is; if you're in that field, you_ know_. So, ether Effy's stalling for time, it's a poor bit of exposition - if it's exposition, just skip the acronym and give us the full name, that would actually be faster, or Effy is as clueless and ignorant as Mark has said she is. _The FSA wants to set up a meeting to ask Effy a few questions, and Effy is rendered speechless.

Effy is walking on a bridge, towards Jake. In a moment, when the camera turns around, we'll be able to see that she's been crying. Effy tells Jake that the FSA has requested a meeting on the morrow. _Why are these two meeting outside the office, when they work together? And why are they approaching from opposite directions? It may not be important, but i's odd. _Effy wants reassurance that things aren't as bad as she thinks. _It would probably be a cheap shot to point out the irony of Effy needing reassurance, so let's just say we hope she learns something from this._ Jake tells her that everything is fine, unconvincingly, since it's not, and tells Effy to admit to nothing. And then it gets weird: he tells Effy that she needs to do exactly as he says, if she values him or their relationship. _Pardon, what? Effy's in trouble with the authorities, and you're worried about yourself? First of all, the guilt trip about their relationship is not impressive. Second of all, if you're worried about yourself, it means that something bigger is going on. Oh, and also that you know you've done wrong, but we already knew that…_ Effy accepts what he says, and agrees to deny everything.

That night, in the flat. Effy returns home, and has to go looking for Naomi. She finds her in bed, curled up, miserable. Naomi has been throwing up all day, she says. Effy notices she had a fever, and wants to get her in the shower, whereupon Naomi throws up in Effy's lap. _Ah, karma…_ Effy is momentarily upset, but, to give her credit, she doesn't let on. She eases Naomi back to the bed … and then calls Dominic. Naomi doesn't want to go to the hospital, but Dominic knows just what to do and takes charge of the situation. He reassures Naomi and then carries her to the shower, trading jokes with her: "Want me to get naked too, for solidarity?" Dominic's wit continues as he asks Emily if she's "got any drugs - legal ones". He sends her out for some.

_Dominic is really good with Naomi and her cancer. He brought her flowers after her appointment and stayed and visited with her for a while; he takes care of her now, when she's so ill she can barely move, and he'll be with her in the hospital later on, too. Dominic is either trying to seem like the perfect friend - and thus, boyfriend or more - to Effy, or he's had experience with this before. It'd be easy to brush this off as Dom trying to get closer to Effy, but there seems to be some interesting backstory here. Really, it's a shame we got so much of Jake and so little of Dom. And so little of some other characters, but I digress._

That night, Naomi is asleep in Effy's bed. (We know it's Effy's bed from the charts and figures hanging on the wall.) Effy is with her, and Dominic is sitting beside them. Dominic offers to sleep on the sofa and then stay with Naomi tomorrow if Effy's working. Effy says she just has a meeting in the morning, and thanks him.

_And, for some reason, Effy doesn't want to tell him about the FSA? Doesn't that seem like something Dominic would want to know about, and should? Effy is unwilling to extend that courtesy, it seems. _

Naomi, it turns out, is not asleep. Eyes still closed, she tells Effy that she hopes she knows what she's doing with him. She turns to face Effy, and we get a little of the old Naomi grin. Effy tells Naomi to call Emily, but Naomi says it's not time yet.

_Lily Loveless must hate the producers of _Skins_, and no, I don't mean for the obvious reasons. I saw an interview where she was talking about how they made her dye her hair for the role in S3/S4 and how they wanted it even shorter than it ended up. And now? We don't know that they wanted her to go bald (which might have been easier to accomplish, with a skin cap), but they've definitely done a job on her hair now. And she's still gorgeous…_

The next day, Effy arrives at the FSA offices. She's swiped through the security gates by a guard, just as Mark approaches and swipes his own way out. He turns to look at her, but doesn't say anything. Effy is confused, as are we.

_Now why would Mark have a pass for the FSA building? The clear implication is that he works for them - and that's either a conflict of interest with his job at the investment firm, or he's somehow working undercover there. And an incompetent employee wouldn't have much access to information, so you'd expect the undercover agent to be a little more skilled… anyway, it's decidedly odd. We having a whole different episode, or a plot arc through several, while Effy tries to figure this out. It's never even explained here._

Effy is brought to her meeting, where Victoria is waiting for her. _Okay, does _everyone_ from Effy's company also work for the FSA? Victoria's explanation is plausible for why she's at the FSA, but not for why she's interviewing Effy - again, there's a definite conflict of interest there. Either the FSA has no other employees - it can't take many people to monitor the trading activities in all of the UK, right? - or someone's made a bad call._ Effy notes that Victoria's "gone all gamekeeper", which is an apt metaphor for someone who keeps an eye on the lions, and Victoria agrees, suggesting that they wanted her "experience with poachers. Like you." _Oh, nice way to twist the metaphor. We go from poaching funds to poaching boyfriends. And I thought we only poached eggs…_ Effy is antagonistic from the beginning, which might be a sensible reaction to Victoria but is hardly a sensible reaction to someone who suspects you of criminal activity. _But then again, Effy's never been one for the sensible course, has she? The best defense is a good offense, perhaps, but that would only work if Effy could prove - or imply that she could prove - criminal activity on Victoria's part, and that's not the path she's taking. This isn't a zero-sum game, with a prize up for grabs - though perhaps, in Effy's mind, it is, with Jake being the prize (gag) - this is very one-sided, and Effy doesn't get that._ Victoria starts talking about what Effy's been doing to get ahead - which could nicely be construed as referring to Jake - but then accuses her of using inside information. Effy denies it, and then does throw Jake in Victoria's face. _It's a little disturbing that Effy really does seem to think this is about Jake. It would be understandable for Effy to think Victoria is pursuing a vendetta, if Effy had truly done nothing wrong. But Effy knows she has - Dominic told her, several times, Jake told her, several times, and we've even seen that she had her own doubts. This is more of a willful disassociation from reality, and that brings back disturbing memories of Season 4, although there are no hallucinations yet. _Victoria stays on topic, but it goes right over Effy's head as she leaves the interview. Victoria tells Effy that Jake is screwing her over, and encourages her to give him up -_meaning, legally, of course, not emotionally, and that's perhaps a bad choice of words on Victoria's part _- but Effy's having none of it. Effy is gone, and Victoria turns her attention to a file with Dominic's picture and information on an investigation into him. _We also see that Dominic's last name is Winters_.

As Effy's leaving the building, she retrieves a voicemail. Naomi is still sick, and Dominic's taking her into hospital. Effy sighs, and the expression on her face is more frustrated than worried. _We'll be charitable and assume her frustration is with the FSA and the morning she's had, not with Naomi's illness_.

Effy gets to the hospital, where Naomi's been admitted, and Dominic tells us the bad news: the treatment's nor working. "You're supposed to make me comfortable," Naomi says. _Naomi's wearing a hospital gown, and we can see now that he pattern on the gown is tiny letters spelling out the words "Hospital Property". In case we needed it spelled out to us, that's what Naomi is now. _It's snowing.

Effy and Dominic are sitting outside the hospital room. Effy admits to Dominic that she's met with the FSA and that they might be looking to Dominic. Dominic asks what's wrong with her. Effy continues to explain, and Dominic points out that Naomi has been left alone. He departs angrily. Effy goes back to the hospital room, to find Naomi gone. Effy searches the halls, calling out for her, and finally finds Naomi on the roof, smoking. _It's ironic, the number of fan fics I've read, where Emily gets Naomi to give up smoking for fear of cancer…_

Naomi is sad. She promised Emily that she would never hurt her again. She didn't mind her going to New York, because they knew they loved each other. She's upset now, because she knows that she has to hurt Emily. Effy tries to reassure her, and stop Naomi's defeatism. It's cold, she says, they should get inside. They end up with Naomi leaning on the railing, sobbing, and Effy trying to hug her.

_When Naomi first told Effy about her cancer, and was leaning on the railing, sobbing, Effy could only hug herself and then go running to Jake. Effy has made some progress, finally, at this eleventh hour._

* * *

**Note: **Okay, _Skins_ fans. If the last few paragraphs haven't reminded you of what happened and set you to sobbing, hang in here - we still have one last chapter to go. No one's happy about it, so let's talk about it.


	4. Winter: Part 2

**Author's Note**: A big thank you to my very kind reviewers! I appreciate all of your feedback, and I agree with all of you. I'm especially grateful for the feedback calling me out on rushing the end of the last chapter. You have my apologies, readers … It was rushed, I admit, partially because it hurts to dwell on this Naomily that we have loved and, according to this episode, lost. I don't like it, but it doesn't make it any more real.

I was going to plug this at the end of the chapter, but this is a good time. For those of you who haven't read it, I heartily recommend Heather Hogan's Tumblr posting on this episode: heatherannehogan tumblr com / post / 55040339984 / how-skins-fire-broke-my-heart Heather Hogan's _Skins_ recaps over on AfterEllen are what inspired my first story and these recaps, and her analysis and insight and writing are all far better than mine. (She's a professional, folks. This isn't modesty, it's just recognition.)

So, I don't like what happened, and we can all forget about it now that it's over, but I'm taking a long, hard look at it before I go.

* * *

Nighttime, in the Penthouse of Solitude. Effy is curled up in bed, with an empty bottle of champagne and an open bottle of pills beside her. _The old Skins standby, booze and drugs to make the pain go away. Effy has been reminded that it's easier not to care, not to think about anyone else, and she's making it all go away again._ She's woken by knocking at the door.

The knocking turns to pounding, and we see an irate, nearly insensate Dominic. Effy lets him in, and he says he's been walking around, trying not to come there. _Which in fact, he won't…. Ahem._ He goes to Effy's cigarettes, fumbles, and lights one. The FSA's been, and taken his computer. Effy tries to be reassuring _Oh, now she finds that skill. A little late, but perhaps this situation is a little closer to home … having been caused by her, and all._ but Dominic knows that he's going to prison, and he blames it on Effy. "Stop pretending like this isn't happening," he says.

_And there it is - someone finally calling Effy on what she does. She's been doing this with Naomi all along, from ignoring the pain at the beginning to telling her on the roof just moments ago to stop talking about dying. She did that with her illness in Season 4, for a very long time, even lying to Freddie while they were lying on the hill. She did that at the water park, when Freddie came to find her, insisting that he not say what they both wanted him to say, She did it at Gobbler's End, holding Freddie's hand, ignoring Katie holding his other hand. She came back, after having run away with Cook, acting as though nothing had happened. And remember her silence at the end of Series 1? She was literally refusing to talk about what had happened, as if she could ignore it and have it all go away. _

_Cook and Jake, the bad boys, have indulged Effy and given her whatever she wanted and acted as though her image she projected was the real her. Freddy saw through her image, and loved the real Effy, but he was so intent on pleasing her that he couldn't help her. (There's some nice irony there.) Dominic, though, sees the real Effy and he calls her on it. Dominic swears at Effy and calls her names, not because she's not obliging him, but for what she has made him do for her - because he knows he has fallen victim to her spell and because he resents that. He is her only admirer to fight against her attraction._

Dominic tells us the problem, the "worst thing": "Before I met you, I was fine. Now I'm … pathetic."

_He is her victim, and he knows it. He is aware of what has happened. He owns it, and he hates it, _

Effy is struck dumb. _And rightfully so; this is the first time a man has ever said this to her, been this honest with her. She's had some deep, open conversations with Naomi and with Katie - but she's more comfortable when it's about them, not about her. When Naomi tries to make it about Effy, Effy runs away. When the gang wanted to confront Effy about her attack on Katie, Effy ran away. Now, Effy is in her own apartment, and flight is not an option. Dominic is so angry, fighting would be useless. Effy has only one option left._

Effy seizes Dominic and kisses him. Hard. _This isn't about Jake or cheating or their relationship, this is about the effect Dominic has on her._ He pushes her away, surprised, and she's crying. _That should be troubling, but this is what he's always wanted - he's told her that, he can't help himself - so he goes for it_. They're kissing, they're disrobing, Effy's pulling him down on top of her. Dominic is on top of her, he's thrusting, Effy's sobbing ,,, and he's stopping, pulling away. They're both apologizing, Dominic is ashamed, and he's running away, leaving Effy in shock.

_Again, Dominic is too self-aware for Effy. Effy knew how he felt about her, needed an escape, wanted to lose herself, to numb her pain … and Dominic knew that she didn't feel that way about him, that she was just using him. Dominic wanted to, and he knew what was happening, and he couldn't. _

Effy walks in to work the next morning in blue high-rise pants and a red shirt that leaves her midriff bare. She's worn some outfits not usually seen in an office before this, but this one is definitely inappropriate. We can also see from the clock on the wall behind her that it's 10:15, and she's definitely late.

Not stopping at her desk, she walks directly into the boardroom where she sees Jake's back. She asks him, angrily, where he's been and he introduces her to the company's head of Legal. _I'm trying to resist making a crude joke about what Effy didn't get last night being made up for this morning. _ Jake half-turned when Effy came in the room, but his back is to her again by the time he explains that the lawyer is there to talk to them about the FSA investigation.

_The walls behind the lawyer are red from the ceiling down to waist height, and blue below that, in an echo of Effy's outfit. She's matched the company colour scheme before this, but she's the very image of the company today. There's a very clear sending that she _belongs_ there. And that makes the proceeding scene all the more uncomfortable._

The lawyer calmly lays out the situation for Effy. The FSA has clear evidence of insider trading. Effy is stunned. The lawyer goes on to suggest that Effy acted alone, that she did this only to improve her own reputation. Effy denies this, but the camera has zoomed out by this time and it's Jake in focus. He listens, without reacting, as he hears Effy damned for what he's done. The lawyer asks him directly if anyone other than Effy was involved. He hesitates, for a moment, but his face remains expressionless. Finally, he denies the involvement of anyone else. _Like himself_. Effy is practically in tears at this, and she turns to look at him, incredulous. She can't believe he's doing this to her. The reality of her situation begins to sink in, as the lawyer recommends that she be suspended from work and turned over to the FSA. (Well, the lawyer recommends that her records be turned over to them, but it feels like the same thing.) He recommends that she find herself a lawyer _Since the company obviously isn't standing behind her_ and departs. He takes his leave of Jake - treating him casually, as a friend, rather than the professional deference and formality he observed just a moment earlier.

As soon as they're alone, Effy asks Jake why he's doing this. On his way out the door, he apologizes, saying he has no choice, but the words don't ring true. They sound like words he's memorized, or been told to say, rather than the way he feels. "Look at me!" Effy commands him, because he hasn't yet. He stops, and his head turns halfway, and his eyes dart over further but still don't make contact. "I'm so, so sorry," he murmurs, again without sounding sincere, and leaves. _Not only is he wiling to let Effy take the fall for what he's done, and mouth remorse without showing any sign of it, but he's too cowardly to face the truth, to face Effy and acknowledge what he's doing. _

Effy is being escorted from the building by security. Everyone watches, Mark with folded arms and a scowl, Jane with what looks like shock.

Finally freed from the shackles of work, Effy is lying with Naomi in her hospital bed. Naomi has an IV in her hand hooked up to two different tubes, and she's having some difficulty breathing._ She's clearly not doing well, and needs a distraction. Also, she's wearing the same cat shirt she was wearing in her first scene; it's definitely her comfort shirt. _They're silent, and Naomi prompts her to talk, to say anything. Effy denies that there's anything to say; she's fine. Naomi curses at her and pushes her out of bed. Effy is surprised, asks what she's done, and Naomi tells her, "Nothing, you've done nothing. That's the whole point." Effy protests, and Naomi tells her that she's been hiding in a fantasy, a "lame one at that."

_Naomi is more patient than Dom, but it's about time. Naomi has been suffering in silence all this time, but she has nothing to lose any more. It's time for Naomi to speak out against the injustice that her supposed friend has been subjecting her to. _

Naomi explains her frustration, her loneliness, her longing for her "best friend… because seriously, Ef, what else have we got?"

_And that is the summary of Skins: other than our friends, what else have we got? For six seasons, we've watch them go through life, with their friends beside them, because that's all they had. The ultimate example of this, perhaps, was Chris: kicked out of his own home, completely naked, after having been abandoned by his mum. His brother was dead, his father was gone, and he'd spent all his money. Chris had absolutely nothing, other than his friends. Or Emily, forced to leave her own home by her mother, who knew she could go to Naomi's house, that Naomi would make it their house._

Effy lies back on the bed, and asks Naomi to tell them what they're going to do. _Seriously, Effy? Naomi asks you to tai, you to share, and you reflect it back on her? I'm not sure Panda was the useless one, after all… _Naomi calls her on it, again. She stares at Effy, before saying angrily, "Well I'm going to die. What are _you_ going to do?"

Effy has, ultimately, after literally months of ignoring Naomi and pretending things weren't happening, made the right decision. Emily Fitch is back in London. There are Christmas carolers singing merrily, Emily is wearing a green dress and a read sweater with hearts on it, and it's all an obscenely cheerful counterpoint to the winter in our hearts.

Unlike her last greeting of Effy, Emily is sedate. She is not smiling. She walks up to Effy, stares at her, and slaps her. _Well, I guess she deserved that_. Effy takes a moment to recover from that, then hurries after Emily who is already gone.

Emily ignores Effy in the cab, staring out the window the whole way. _There's a solitaire ring on the index finger of Emily's left hand. It's likely not a wedding ring, or even an engagement ring, but we're not hard pressed to imagine that she and Naomi might have exchanged some sort of promise. Earlier, while smoking on the hospital roof, we could see that Naomi had a gold band on her left hand as well_.

Emily looks at Effy when they get to the hospital, but still can't speak. Emily gets out of the cab, then stops Effy she she tries to do the same. Emily doesn't want Effy to come upstairs, saying Effy didn't even deserve this time she's had with Naomi, that Effy stole it from her and that she'l never forgive her for it.

_Emily is, understandably, upset right now. She can't be upset with Naomi, and Effy makes a very convenient target. We don't know how much Emily knows about what has happened, and Naomi deserves at least some of the blame for Emily not knowing sooner, but Effy will have to bear the whole burden for now._

Effy requests that the driver take her to downtown. The sound of strings swell in the background, as Effy stares out at the city during the ride. She's Making a Decision.

Effy is facing Victoria over drinks. She's agreeing to turn herself in, provided that they leave Dominic out of it: "He doesn't deserve this." Victoria readily agrees, because Dominic's not the important one. Effy's not sure, so Victoria continues, saying that Jake is nice, but weak and greedy.

_At this point, it's not clear if Effy is coming undone or if she's willing to let Victoria provide the story. Effy provides the minimum necessary, because Victoria is eager to do the rest. _She takes a deep breath and says, "I thought it was real." Victoria jumps in, "So it was his fault. You were inexperienced and he took advantage." Effy looks down, closes her eyes, and lets one tear escape. "All right." Victoria is right there again on the uptake, "'All right', you'll make a statement? Naming Jake?" Effy agrees, and Victoria tells her that she'll still be going to prison. Effy looks more upset at this, but accepts it.

Back at the hospital, Effy is standing outside the room, watching Naomi sleep. Emily comes up, and confess that she can't go in. She needs more time, she says. Effy picks up the burden of being the one to speak the truth - _she pretends it doesn't exist when she's involved, but she can always tell others what they need to know _- telling Emily that there is no more time and that Naomi is dying. Emily admits that she's angry with Naomi, and finally breaks down in tears. Effy comforts her, encourages her, and sends her in.

_Finally, finally, Effy is being a friend. It's only a shame that it took her this long. She may have learned something from this, but the price was much, much too high. For everyone._

Emily climbs into bed with Naomi, under the covers. _She's getting as close to Naomi as she possibly can, and it's very sweet, and oh so hard to watch, especially as Emily curls on Naomi, crying. _Naomi embraces Emily, surprised but happy to see her. She catches Effy's eye and thanks her, and it's a recognition and acknowledgement that Effy has, in the end, done the right thing. _And it is truly the end: Effy's speech, encouraging Emily, are the final words of this episode. It is only now, at the very end, when it is much too late, that Effy has learned._

Effy turns away, crying. _And we all cry with her, for the wonderful woman, the amazing couple, that never had a chance. _

The camera pans over the city in winter. The sun is setting, the water of the Thames is cold, and the season is bleak as our mood. We focus on a tree, bare of leaves, devoid of hope.

Effy is with Victoria and someone else, signing a statement. Her signature is her first initial, followed by an S and a scrawl. _She's not willing to sign her nickname to an official document, but never uses her real first name either. Effy is, now as she has always been, uncomfortable with herself. Unwilling to admit to it, and unwilling to reveal it._

Effy is leaving the building, accompanied by Victoria and a constable. She sees Jake, just arriving with the company lawyer. They exchange a long look. He knows what she has done. She turns away.

Effy is in the elevator, going down. It's nighttime. _These are both images of finality, of closure, of the ultimate end. _She's helped into the back of the police car. The strings swell, again, as Effy rides through the night,

_We last saw Effy riding in a car at night, near the end of Series 3. She was running away, with Cook, and they had no idea where they were going. She's in the back of the car this time, and knows she's headed to prison, but with equally little idea about what the future holds._

Slowly, Effy smiles. Cut to credits.

_Why does Effy smile? Her friend is dying, her relationship has just ended, and she's heading to prison. However, she really did make the first illegal trade for the reasons everyone guessed, that she wanted to get ahead. And she's protected her source, who she knows will do anything for her, while getting revenge on the lover who screwed her over by turning him in. Effy will probably be out soon, and she might even be able to use her documented history of mental instability in her favour. _

_Effy Stonem has been through the fire. Not for the first time, not for the last time. But each time, she's a little bit changed._

* * *

**Author's Note**: And there you have it. I won't defend it, I won't praise it, but I'll try to understand it.

For those who want something better than what we've just endured, I recommend a big dose of fluff. FitchSwitch's _Tell Me A Story_ never fails to put a goofy grin on my face, and there's a lovely note at the end of Chapter 15 that sums up a lovely point of view.


End file.
